Wednesday, September 28, 2011

Folks here is a new civil war site dealing those soldiers from the North that spent time at Andersonville. It also talks about the Sultanna disaster that was bringing many poor souls back up North when it sank.

Not
every research problem can be solved by an internet search. Some
sources are only in their original form and require onsite access.

Monday, September 19, 2011

When and where were your brothers and sisters born?Did they marry?Have Families? (Follow up for the details) What were they like?Do you have any favorite memories of them?

The important element of identifying the location of birth for the siblings is to put together the migration pattern of the family. In my own family my grandmothers family moved from Northwest Ohio, Northeast Indiana, Northeast Ohio and then finally to Southeastern Michigan. The motivation was the time period and the constant need to find employment. In this situation it was not driven by family already being located in the area. Each of my G Aunt's and Uncle's was born in a different location. Meeting their spouses all along the way.The importance of marriage is when you are looking to trace the siblings lines. Learning about these families help in understanding the fabric of the family.

Understanding more about siblings helps in understanding more about your own family line. This to me is what makes genealogy fun.

Thursday, September 15, 2011

Where were you born and when? Do you remember any stories that your parents shared with you about your birth? Do you have your birth and/ or baptismal certificates?

It
is important that you get all the information when determining where
people were born. Remember in rural locations the family home was a
common place or the local midwife. Remember to people would go to the
closest city which did not always mean in the same county, state or
country. I did research for a client who had family in Vermont and
could not locate them. They happened to live along the US Canadian
border. Guess what the family filed all their records in Canada. When
interviewing for stories in large families remember memories are going
to vary a great deal from the youngest child to the oldest. You will
get surprises from the people that you would not have felt when you
started would have had the most information. Interview everyone that is
willing.In
many cases the best source for birth records prior to a civil record
would be the church. Remember that baptismal certificates often
indicate the date they were baptized not the day they were born.Tomorrow more insight into the questions.

Wednesday, September 14, 2011

What is your full name?Do you know why your parents chose that name for you?Were you named after an ancestor?Someone famous?Do you have a nickname?

Why you say is it important to get the full name of the ancestor? Well for one thing it was very common to get the middle name of many of our ancestors from surnames on the maiden side of the family. In my genealogy I had a middle name that was used repeatedly. It turned out that two generations down the line it ended up being a surname. This is very common.Knowing why someone used a particular first name may offer clues to past generations. Naming traditions were very common in many ethnic backgrounds. The first born son was named after the fathers father, the first born daughter was named after the fathers mother, second son was named after the mother's father, second daughter after the mother's mother and so on down the line. Please understand that our families were not real creative in coming up with regional names. A relative uncommon name like Magdalena can be popular when naming traditions are involved.A common name to someone famous does not indicate that your ancestor is related to that person somehow. It is common today to have research done to prove relationships to people that are famous. Proof is not always there. Finally pay attention to nicknames. My own grandmother was named Babe for the first five years of her life, because my great grandparents could not decide on a family name. Surprisingly these names appear many times in public records. Checking several sources will help in finding the true name. So when doing your interviews be sure to ask questions that will offer solutions to problems that may be created as you do your research.

Sunday, September 04, 2011

Now that we have gathered the information we have at home the next
step is to put it in a context that we can understand where we need to
go. This step involved putting together all the names that you know
starting with you. This can all be put on what is know as a Pedigree
chart. Typically these are what is known as a five generation chart.
Start on the left side of the sheet. Then work your way to the right
and fill out as many blanks as you are able. The top part of the charts
is your paternal line (father's side) and the bottom portion is the
maternal line (mother's side). Be sure to fill out the categories of
birth, marriage and death. Please identify the date as follows. ex 4
September 2011. Include the location of the event. (Toledo, Lucas,
Ohio) Don't worry about filling it all out if you don't have it all.
Reference where you got your information. A genealogy without proof is
fiction.
Evaluate the blank spots. This give us the areas where we
need to find more information. At this stage of the search it is now
time to contact relatives. Start by making a list of people you know.
As you go through the contact process be sure to ask for names with
others that may be able to help. Be aware that often the people you
think will help and those you don't think will help do. Information
comes from the most unlikely places. The stories from the oldest to
youngest can vary a great deal. Prior to making the calls, make a list
of questions that will help you keep on track. Tomorrow we will go over
a list of questions.

Saturday, September 03, 2011

Are you thinking about researching your Family? Most people face
this question at the beginning of their search. Many start after they
retire, but for me it began when I turned thirteen years old. Some
people are just curious about there families past. For others it
becomes a search for medical history.

One of the first steps in preparing for the search is to look
to see what you have on hand. For me it was a large box that was handed
to my mother when one of our relatives died.
Things to look for
include obituaries, family bibles, discharge papers, birth
announcements, etc. etc. Much of this information will not make sense
in the beginning, but make sure to keep it. The family bible often
given as a gift when a couple got married was the safe in olden times.
Don't just look at the family information on the inside, but leaf
through all the pages. Here if you get lucky you will find funeral
cards, obits or military discharge records.
Make sure to organize this information for later use. One of the largest challenges for any genealogist is keeping things organized. This should start from the beginning. The next step is to contact relatives.

Thursday, September 01, 2011

The Monclova Community Center will have genealogy expert Derek Davey teaching
a six-week course .
Class participants will also have the change to go to the Allen County Library
in Fort Wayne, Indiana at the end of the course with Derek. Class size is limited.When: beginning Friday, September 30 from 10 a.m. –
12 noon